Games of Thrones Unsullied thread

[Rev Ray]

1 minute ago, BobbyWhioux said:

Not all of them, but it is Thoros' signature move (he did it at the Battle of Pyke he and Jorah were talking about) and I guess he taught it to Beric.

OK, I did catch that part of the conversation but these guys are few and far between in show appearances, I also don't have a concept of how long the followers of the Lord of Light have been around since it feels like the story focused more on the old gods until Red Witch started using blood magic.  Since it seemed like they ran their hand on the blade, I'm guessing it's a blood magic deal?

[Jiji]

17 minutes ago, BobbyWhioux said:

Speaking of which, that reminds me.

Bran is an Asshole.

Not just for not clearing shit up for Sansa and Arya, but also for not keeping an eye on Jon and getting the raven off himself, much earlier (and thus much more plausibly In Time for Dany to then arrive In Time).  Instead he lets it all hinge on Gendry running.

Could be dramatic irony (wait no, the opposite of that!), I feel like. Like, they're letting Littlefinger think he's TEARING THEM APART (Lisa!) only to have him drop his guard. I really feel like in the end Sansa will outwit her teacher and Littlefinger's head will be removed from his body. Or at least I hope so.

[Brian Fowler]

If I remember right, it's just a flammable substance on the blade.

The Lord of Light isn't a major religion in Westeros, but Thoros had been preaching it there for decades. 

[BobbyWhioux]

1 minute ago, Oyaji said:

Could be dramatic irony, I feel like. Like, they're letting Littlefinger think he's TEARING THEM APART (Lisa!) only to have him drop his guard. I really feel like in the end Sansa will outwit her teacher and Littlefinger's head will be removed from his body. Or at least I hope so.

 

Yeah I'm thinking/hoping the anti-swerve is coming. It just feels like they're trying to make it more SHOCKING by having it not hinted at all and going all in with the face value dissent.

 

 

 

[Jiji]

Agreed. Not digging this distraction b-plot really. Arya's acting chops haven't really progressed while most of the younger actors' have. She comes off super cringe, even if it's just an act.

[BobbyWhioux]

3 minutes ago, Oyaji said:

Agreed. Not digging this distraction b-plot really. Arya's acting chops haven't really progressed while most of the younger actors' have. She comes off super cringe, even if it's just an act.

I tend to blame directing/writing more tbh.

The show's had a bit of a problem (and this is of course a phenomenon that extends way beyond just this show) with wanting to depict strong women yet only knowing how/wanting to convey that in terms of being A STOIC BADASS (and kinda a bitch).

Dany and Arya (and even Brienne) have gotten hurt by this [and Emilia Clarke's performance has gotten, imo, somewhat unfairly panned in some circles because of this].  One of my favorite bits about this episode, actually, was that Dany got to take off her public mask for once, when she's talking to a bedridden Jon.  Clarke does, again in my opinion, a good job when she's asked to show cracks in Dany's mask.  She just doesn't get asked to do it often [enough].

Arya sounded like Ramsay this week.  And it feels like that's because the producers/directors think it's awesome/badass/cool or whatever, more so than their actually wanting her to come off as disturbing/evil.

[Brian Fowler]

I'm pretty positive disturbing is what they were going for.

Then again, I think Maisie Williams has been really great pretty consistently, and was extremely good in both her scenes tonight.

[Jiji]

11 minutes ago, BobbyWhioux said:

I tend to blame directing/writing more tbh.

The show's had a bit of a problem (and this is of course a phenomenon that extends way beyond just this show) with wanting to depict strong women yet only knowing how/wanting to convey that in terms of being A STOIC BADASS (and kinda a bitch).

Dany and Arya (and even Brienne) have gotten hurt by this [and Emilia Clarke's performance has gotten, imo, somewhat unfairly panned in some circles because of this].  One of my favorite bits about this episode, actually, was that Dany got to take off her public mask for once, when she's talking to a bedridden Jon.  Clarke does, again in my opinion, a good job when she's asked to show cracks in Dany's mask.  She just doesn't get asked to do it often [enough].

Arya sounded like Ramsay this week.  And it feels like that's because the producers/directors think it's awesome/badass/cool or whatever, more so than their actually wanting her to come off as disturbing/evil.

Absolutely. I thought some of Clarke's criticisms were well earned but she's been fantastic the past few episodes. 

I go back to one of the best points of the entire series of books and something the show has failed to live up to: violence shouldn't be cathartic. George is a master at twisting expectations when it comes to big payoffs of violence, as I, at least, was almost always grossed out when a heroic character got revenge. Death should be unnerving and he made it so, even when people were lusting for blood. The show, on the other hand, went for traditional action/adventure badassery and it's really hurt it in the long run. Arya's one of the characters hurt the most by this. It's why I've always taken a liking more to Sansa than Arya. She's learned the DARK ARTS of politics and strategy. No chance at badass bullshit. And, somehow, they even managed to do that at the end of last season with the Bastard of Bolton. Like, fuck... really?

[BobbyWhioux]

1 minute ago, Oyaji said:

Absolutely. I thought some of Clarke's criticisms were well earned but she's been fantastic the past few episodes. 

I go back to one of the best points of the entire series of books and something the show has failed to live up to: violence shouldn't be cathartic. George is a master at twisting expectations when it comes to big payoffs of violence, as I, at least, was almost always grossed out when a heroic character got revenge. Death should be unnerving and he made it so, even when people were lusting for blood. The show, on the other hand, went for traditional action/adventure badassery and it's really hurt it in the long run. Arya's one of the characters hurt the most by this. It's why I've always taken a liking more to Sansa than Arya. She's learned the DARK ARTS of politics and strategy. No chance at badass bullshit. And, somehow, they even managed to do that at the end of last season with the Bastard of Bolton. Like, fuck... really?

Agreed, although I've long thought that Arya was always meant to end up an exception to that rule in the books, because she just seems to have that fairy tale hero vibe where she's the clever kid who outsmarts evil spirits [naming Jaqen to Jaqen is some "figure out Rumplestiltskin's name" shit, and I figure if the books ever finish (lol) she'll Odysseus her way into getting over on The Faceless Men, too, not unlike what we saw in the show].  Just not quite to this degree.

I actually remember a post of yours (from before the last time the board got eaten) about this subject, because it was so good I saved it in a text file and have borrowed heavily from it when talking about GOT elsewhere:

"The idea of making people turn on their own blood lust is a wonderful, wonderful thing. We're living in a society way too comfortable with wanting to murder anybody that does bad things (even more so in our pop art), so to take a much loathed character as Theon and make him an object of pity is great writing. Probably my favourite arc of the entire series. As brutal and unforgiving as the Red Wedding is, the Boltons take it to the next level."

It's possibly my favorite fan comment on Game Of Thrones ever (and I don't think I've ever properly shouted you out for it) so here we are at last.

 

 

[Jiji]

Seems more appropriate now than back then.  Troubled times.

[Brian Fowler]

I've always felt that way about the Purple Wedding. In the book, at the end, Joffrey was just a scared child, gasping, clawing at his throat, confused and dying. It's a horrific, horrifying scene.

And what happened to Theon is even worse. Because I wanted him to be revenged upon, but not like that.

[BobbyWhioux]

18 minutes ago, Brian Fowler said:

I've always felt that way about the Purple Wedding. In the book, at the end, Joffrey was just a scared child, gasping, clawing at his throat, confused and dying. It's a horrific, horrifying scene.

And what happened to Theon is even worse. Because I wanted him to be revenged upon, but not like that.

Yeah, and that's what makes the Theon stuff so powerful.

Justice/Vengeance would be Robb getting a hold of him and cutting his head off.  Or Arya finding out and putting him on The List.  Instead we don't get justice, we get a monkey's paw wish, and the reckoning is delivered by a far greater monster than Theon could even fathom being who then puts the characters you want "avenged" and their kin in even greater danger. 

One of my biggest disappointments with the show was the change of Ellaria Sand from her book version, who is very much of the "an eye for an eye makes the world blind" and "all the deaths in the world won't bring Oberyn back to me, so what's the point?" philosophy.  Not so in the show, obviously.  And look where it gets her.

Fuck Joffrey though.  Joy at his death and relief at the removal of his menace to the kingdom (Olenna is a hero and a liberator).  Though of course, even then the celebration is muted because Tyrion and Sansa take the fall for it (and Olenna was totally fine with framing them to get it done).

 

[Brian Fowler]

Olenna cared about herself and her own only.

I'm not sad Joff died. But the way he died is sickening (intentionally)

I'm not sure any kind of death for Ramsey could have that effect on me though. He was as sadistic as Joffrey, but way more competent, and more creative.

[Hail Sabin]

Very happy Ser Friendzone didn't die. 

[Niners Fan in CT]

That was a damn fine episode my god this is blowing the fuck out of big budget film right now.  It has been for a long time but especially this season.  

Is the writing and dialogue a little shakier without the books?  Sure,  but to be fair they do not have decades to write these episodes. 

The timeline stuff doesn't bother me.  We spent seven seasons with all of these people. We know who they are. We know the backstory. We know their motivations. At some point you have to get to the action and eventually a conclusion.  

These guys know how the story is supposed to end.  The way they arrive there will be different,  it's obviously going to be more "Hollywood" but I feel that's for the best.  The viewers have earned these big action sequences and comic book team ups. 

[Eivion]

First off screw piranesi for spoiling dragons fighting zombies for me in the Summerslam thread. May he end up on creepy Arya's list.

Secondly, fuck, that was awesome. I loved the banter we got between the dream team and the fight against the bears and the white walkers were things of pure joy. I thought for sure we see one of the big names taken out. Thoros and a dragon eating it suffices. Now we have no revivals and something that be a legit threat to dragons. I'm pleased our Brienne obsessed ginger survived. I totally thought that he was goner in that one scene.

I had forgotten about Dany being unable to have children. That makes me think even more she and Jon don't make it past the final battle.

That story about Ned and Arya was sweet and makes me miss Sean Bean. I actually enjoy Arya and Sansa's two faceoffs. I'm hoping this doesn't end in some messed up one kills the other situation.

[AxB]

5 hours ago, BobbyWhioux said:

Not all of them, but it is Thoros' signature move (he did it at the Battle of Pyke he and Jorah were talking about) and I guess he taught it to Beric.

There was a myth that they could do itlong ago. Thoros used to play up to that by putting Wildfire on his sword (and ruining his sword in the process). He was as surprised as anyone when Beric's fireblade started actually working.

[Shadow]

We've finally gotten to the point that we're at Game of Thrones: Wrath of the Lich King

[Pete]

8 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:

This season is hanging on great moments (ZOMBIE DRAGON! TRAIN ATTACK!) and fan service (Stark reunions!) and the goodwill land character investment from early seasons to overcome the absolutely nonsensical timeline issues. Either they've mastered teleporting, or this season has just skipped over like a year and a half of travel.

It actually did take a month and a half for Daenerys to get there. Jon's road team stayed at a red-roofed inn just around the corner from the ice floe every night after the white walkers punched out for the day like Ralph the Wolf and Sam the Sheepdog.

[J.T.]

100% of the folks in at my watch party bit on the Tormund hook.  It was marvelous.

The end of that episode is sooo fucking setting me up for sadness.  People like Dany and Jon do not get to live happily ever after in Westeros..

I disagree with the Maisie hate.  Arya is supposed to be detached and disturbing.  There are moments when she is a Stark and then there are moments when she is No Man.  I think that super cringe is exactly the effect they are going for. 

Was it me or did one of those masks resemble Littlefinger?  If so, I think I may know where this may go.

If the writers for GoT were also writing for Disney, I'd be far more frightened of Thanos than I am now.  Every time the Night King has significant time on an episode, he shows exactly why you should be completely fucking terrified of him. 

I like how this show toys with deus ex machina.  First show a panacea and then poison the well.

The dream team killed a White Walker and several wights die spontaneously.  So hey, if we focus on the White Walkers and the Night King, the war is over instantly!  Yeah, tell me how that works out for you, buddy.  I'm gonna cower in terror over here..

And then right before the dream team dies in a sea of undead, Dany flies in to the rescue and the dragons burn down half the zombie army in one shot!  But before anyone can roll their eyes and call bullshit on lazy storytelling, the fucking Night King kills a full grown dragon BY HIMSELF... and then he FUCKING RAISES IT FROM THE DEAD~!

Season 7 is fucking amazing.

I'm looking forward to the season finale.  I'm hoping that Cersei makes the right decision once the dream team toss a wight in her lap and tell her about the evil at her doorstep, but bullshit and fuckwittery are bound to happen.

[Pete]

Internet is too fast #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/R898XiLJhm

— Stephen Florival (@StephenFlorival) August 21, 2017

[BobbyWhioux]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

I dunno, I'm not sure if 50% completion percentage is good enough for a #1 pick.

Then again they do tend to fall in love with arm strength at the combine...

[Raziel]

Not brought up:

 

Bronn hit Drogon with a Scorpion bolt and it while it registered, it did almost no long term damage, more like a throne in Drogon's side.

 

Night King threw one lance at Visceron and killed him dead in one hit.

 

And we know we're getting a Jon vs. Night King final battle, as that's twice we've the staredown between the two, so law of every type of storytelling says that this is our Main Event.

[Pete]

2 minutes ago, BobbyWhioux said:

I dunno, I'm not sure if 50% completion percentage is good enough for a #1 pick.

Then again they do tend to fall in love with arm strength at the combine...

"People are gonna come from all over. This boy's an Eskimo."

[Niners Fan in CT]